A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of compositions and methods for treating and preventing Helicobactor pylori-associated stomach gastritis, ulcers and cancer. More specifically, this invention relates to the field of compositions of herbs, herb parts or herb extracts which can be used to treat or prevent Helicobactor pylori-associated stomach gastritis, ulcers and cancer, and methods for making and using such compositions.
B. Description of Related Art
Twelve years ago it was first reported and subsequently verified by many scientific studies that a particular bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori ("H. pylori") commonly infects the human stomach. Many people so infected subsequently acquire what is known as chronic superficial gastritis ("stomach inflammation") which may continue on for many decades. It is now known that left untreated, this condition may lead to stomach ulcers and even stomach cancer disease. (Marshall, B. J. and Warren, J. B. Unidentified curved bacilli in the stomach of patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lancet, No.8390: 1311-1315 (1984); Nomura, A., Stemmermann, G. N., Chyou, P.-H., et al., Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric carcinoma among Japanese Americans in Hawaii. New Engl. J. Med., 325: 1132-1136 (1991); Blaser, M. J. and Parsonnet, J., Parasitism by the "slow" bacterium Helicobacter leads to altered gastric homeostasis and neoplasia. J. Clin, Invest., 94: 4-8 (1994).) Extensive laboratory as well as clinical studies have been reported which clearly show that people suffering from chronic gastritis and/or stomach ulcer disease caused by H. pylori infection can be cured when administered certain antibiotics which eradicate H. pylori [Rubinstein, G., Dunkin, K. and Howard, A. J., The susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to 12 antimicrobial agents, omeprazole and bismuth salts. J. Antimicrob. Chemother., 34: 409-413 (1994); Rosioru, C. Glassman, M. S., Berezin, S. H., et al., Treatment of Helicobacter pylori--associated gastroduodenal disease in children. Dig. Dis. Sci., 38: 123-128 (1993); Blaser, M. J., The bacteria behind the ulcers. Sci. Amer., February 1996, 104-107]. On the other hand, the use of antibiotics has some drawbacks, including the rapid resistance of H. pylori to antimicrobial agents (Rubinstein, G. et al., op. cit.) as well as the well known fact that many people are allergic to antibiotics and some develop severe diarrhea and/or secondary infections which complicate antibiotic therapy. Furthermore, the antibiotics used to treat (i.e., kill H. pylori) ulcers also kill a wide variety of non-pathogenic bacteria in the body, a most undesirable feature of antibiotic therapy (i.e., "non-selectivity").